Hundreds of Syrians find refuge in Turkish camps

The number of Syrians sheltering in Turkey has aproached 12,000 after some 1,500 refugees poured across the border between yesterday and today, officials said.

The new exodus was triggered yesterday morning when Syrian troops backed by tanks entered a border zone where thousands fleeing a bloody crackdown on anti-regime protesters were camping, hesitant to cross to Turkey.

Turkey's emergency situations agency said Friday that 1,578 Syrians had crossed into Turkish territory, bringing the total number to 11,739.

Fifty people, including 15 with gunshot wounds, remain in hospital, the statement said.

The Turkish Red Crescent has erected several tent cities in the border province of Hatay to shelter the refugees.

The Turkish authorities continue to provide food to those who remain camping on the other side of the border, the statement said.

Crammed into a narrow strip along the Turkish frontier, the displaced Syrians have braved squalid conditions, sleeping rough or in makeshift shelters of branches and plastic sheets, surviving on scarce food and water.

They have hesitated to cross to Turkey, gripped by uncertainty over a future on foreign soil and wary of leaving their property behind.

The Turkish authorities have reportedly assured them they can cross over if they felt threatened.